Batman Forever (1995)
Batman Forever has the misfortune of being released right after the back to back Tim Burton masterpieces and right before the notorious abomination Batman and Robin (1997). This is just one reason why many people view this film with contempt, if they don’t forget it altogether.
However, Batman Forever isn’t completely awful. It’s certainly the most unique film in the 90s franchise, and the addition of Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carey create an timeless presence in the film.
Chronologically the movie fits into the same universe as the previous two films, but there were some issues between Burton and Warner Brothers studios during production. Warner Brothers felt that the dark themes from Batman Returns (1992) cost them at the box office, so they asked for Burton to tone everything down to make it appeal toward kids. Burton couldn’t direct a movie without a dark vision, so he decided to remain as producer for, but Joel Schumacher took the director seat, resulting in an interesting blend of styles. Val Kilmer wasn’t originally going to do the part, but Michael Keaton did not want to do the movie if Burton wasn’t directing, so the studio replaced him.
The animated series was one of the most dominating cartoon shows in America between 1992 and 1995, so it’s no wonder that many of the cartoon’s over the top themes were brought in to bring color to Burton’s iconic dark visualization of Gotham. Warner Brothers wanted a flick that would be easier to sell to children, and they definitely had it toned down in comparison to the previous two films. Schumacher also cites the television series from the late 60s as part of his influence on design. Aside from a 3D rendered visual of Gotham that did not age well, the city looks beautiful in most shots. The sets and costume designs are generally thematic of the film’s story about dichotomies, but most importantly they’re cartoonish and often gaudy layers of flamboyance over turbulence.
The charm is alive and well right off of the bat — pun totally intended.
Combining the colorful personalities and nature of Gotham with its dark aesthetic would be a challenge on screen, but Joel does it quite well. Much of the film and Batman’s theme overall is about the dichotomy of human nature. Joel lifts this all to life splendidly. The dichotomy of Gotham, a city with beautiful architecture and lavish lifestyles plagued by the madness of its most deprived. The dichotomy of Batman, a brilliant playboy and socialite turned masked vigilante. The dichotomy of the Rogue’s Gallery criminals, normal every day citizens wronged by some injustices that turn them toward choosing lunacy and violence.
The movie takes us right into the action in scene one. Bruce is already suited up and prepared to go bring justice to Gotham. Michael Gough as Alfered Pennyworth sparks the dialogue with a memorable line about packing a sandwich before Batman goes off to fight crime. Batman then says “I will get drive-through.” Its the kind of stupid funny that Kilmer did not really deliver well, but any scene with Gough is to be cherished anyway, so I will take it.
We are then introduced to the mayhem of Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face. This was an outstanding performance and right into it you can tell that Jones was naturally suited for this part. He was obviously shooting for the same field as Nicholson’s Joker from Batman (1989), but he does so well I would hesitate to call it a knock-off.
Nichole Kidman gets her first shot in the movie’s first few minutes and there is no question at all about where her role will lead to. She is smitten with Batman from the get go.
With most of the characters and their intentions introduced, we head for the action. Also, the very first appearance of the Statue of Justice occurs here, a literal knock off of the Statue of Liberty with the words Gotham written on the crown. The statue would later make appearances in the animated series and Batman video game franchises.
After Two Face’s first attempt to kill Batman fails, we’re brought out to one of Bruce Wayne’s hi-tech warehouses where Gotham’s leading scientists are working on cool designs for the top 1/10th of 1%. We get to size up Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne, and right off of the bat — (okay, sorry that time it was uncalled for) its just a negative experience. Mr. Kilmer is too short to be a Stormtrooper and definitely too short to be Batman. Maybe its just the suit, which looks 3 sizes too large. Well it was the 90s. Ew
Bruce is directed by one of his chairmen across a lounge of folks working on cool Wayne Tech gadgets, including Edward Nygma played by none other than Jim Carrey. Carrey’s work in the 90s is absolutely phenomenal and his part as The Riddler is no exception to the rule. Nygma has a super intense man crush on Bruce and all that it takes for Nygma to go bonkers is to be rejected.
Val Bruce lasts about a minute before returning to the cave via a travel tube, which to be honest looks like a very risky mode of transportation. I mean what if he gets stuck in the chute? No one could come help him. He would starve and die. Anyway, I would not recommend the ride for claustrophobic types.
However, Batman has a condition far worse than claustrophobia in this film. He suffers from monotony and not even a stirring relationship with a hot Australian could save him. Too bad.
Anyway, Batman is out again and here is the risque Kidman trying to get a one night stand by misappropriation of the Bat signal. If dating women were only this easy for me. Well Batman doesn't like easy and he doesn’t like misappropriation of his Bat signal, so this time he will have to turn Kidman’s advances down.
Yay more psycho Jim Carrey.
It turns out his brilliant device works a lot like an acid trip. This whole scene really does a wonderful job of showing the fatally dangerous side of Nygma’s genius. He’s an absolute cartoon but he will kill you, too.
One “surfs up big kahuna” and a bronze medal later, Carrey’s Riddler morphs from amusing psychotic to murderous psychopath. And now that he has crossed the threshold, its all that Nygma has left to embark on a crusade to humiliate Bruce Wayne. So there it is.
But no one wants to directly confront a guy who manhandles doors in a turtleneck, so Nygma attacks with riddles. Perfect!
The middle portion of the film is dedicated to establishing Riddler’s relationship with Two Face and the introduction of Robin to the franchise. Robin’s story is done nicely and Chris O’Donnell does such a great job of playing the character. He has the attitude, the looks, and most importantly the chemistry. Considering emasculation of Batman, it’s a good thing we get a real bad ass on the hero’s side. After the death of Grayson’s family at the hands of Two Face, Bruce Wayne continues to chase around Chase Meridian while Grayson suffers the post-traumatic grievances of his entire clan, and the film’s villains continue causing violence across town. Were they going out of their way to make Batman weak in this movie?
Tommy Lee as Two Face dominates the first half of the film without much need for a partner. He does so well that he could have gone the whole movie as the only antagonist. However, the partnership with Riddler was also excellently portrayed. Once again chemistry is the key word here. The way they flow together on screen creates wild energy. They make the criminal duo really interesting and entertaining. That’s just the kind of work one could expect between these incredible actors at their peak.
The plot to do a bunch of bank and jewel heists in order to fund Nygma’s legit front as Gotham’s brain wave entertainment mogul is a bit carried away, but the brain wave emitter is a cool idea which ultimately delivers some cool visuals.
My favorite part about Riddler going into the later half of the movie is how he continues to evolve the obsession with Wayne. Everything is an attempt to copy Bruce from the way Nygma dresses, how he styles his hair, the glasses he wears, and even his mannerisms.
As the film tilts toward its conclusion, Nygma discovers the mystery of Batman by utilizing information retrieved from his brain scan machine. The two confront each other while Wayne is about to get on his hands and knees for Dr. Meridian, and with the help of Two Face the Bat Cave is destroyed.
This series of failures convinces Bruce to take on a partner — enter Robin, who has already saved Batman twice, first by discarding a bomb at the circus and second at a ball attacked by Two Face’s goons. The two take off with the Bat Wing and Bat Boat for the ultimate show down at Riddler’s lair.
Batman Forever could have been so much more than it was if certain dictators over at Warner Brothers did not pressure Burton to step down for something a bit more kid friendly. Kilmer just wasn’t fit to fill Keaton’s shoes as Batman or Bruce Wayne, and the love story with Chase Merdian was tacky and just plain boring in general, thus reducing Wayne to a bombastic geek. Batman wasn’t really menacing at all, also. Too much time was spent following the story of Wayne and Chase Meridian throughout the movie, which left us with few scenes where Bruce gets to be Batman. In the little action he sees, Batman levels a few goons without much of a fight, and the final confrontation with Two Face and Riddler is less than climatic.
On the other hand, the movie was visually stunning. The eye candy worked as a good sugar coated layer over the violence that was still intact in the film. The acting and plot were not a complete bomb even if the main character was a total bust. Carrey and Jones brought something special to the film that could not be ruined. It was a unique movie for a generation of kids and young adults obsessed with Batman. Although there’s no holding it up to the ’89 film, it’s snugly close to the terrain of Batman Returns (1992).
The only thing I couldn’t handle was the Batmobile driving vertically up a building. That was dumb…
